The warrior cut the rope attaching Tayan to the rest of the prisoners and dragged them out. Enet spoke over the thud of hurrying feet. ‘He lies, holy lord. He is a Tokob shaman. Tokob, great Singer. A god-killer.’

Tayan inhaled saliva and coughed, pulling away from the Singer’s suddenly tightening grip. ‘Not I, holy lord,’ he said quickly. ‘I am a shaman; I have never killed a holy Setat.’

Enet appeared in his periphery, vicious with triumph. ‘No, you just tortured one instead. We know the reports. We know exactly who you are.’

‘No! It was already captive. I did nothing to hurt it. I spoke to it, learnt from it and learnt about it—’ He cut himself off. ‘I didn’t hurt it,’ he repeated. ‘I couldn’t.’

‘The Tokob kill our gods!’ Enet repeated with desperate spite. ‘You cannot trust him.’

‘Why don’t you want me to help the Singer?’ Tayan’s voice was low, and he didn’t dare look at either of them, but even within his madness and depravity, the Singer heard. And understood. For good or ill, Tayan had cast the bones and now he had no choice other than to live out the fate they decreed. Perhaps he really could save the man. He didn’t know. He didn’t think Enet knew.

‘Your holy kin, great Singer,’ Enet hissed, not responding to his question but seeking to deflect it. ‘This man tortured one of your kin. Who is to say he will not torture you?’

It wasn’t clear whether the Singer had heard that, but Tayan had. He looked up sharply as something fell into place. ‘Kin? How can the holy Setatmeh be kin?’

‘Have you still not worked it out, little peace-weaver?’ Enet demanded, suddenly sure of herself again. She knelt on the Singer’s other side and caressed his shoulder. ‘You want to know why the holy Setatmeh are gods. You should be asking who they were before they became gods. Before they ascended.’

She laughed at the expression on his face. ‘Now do you see who it is you’ve just promised to cure?’

XESSA

High Feather’s estate, Singing City, Pechacan, Empire of Songs

83rd day of the grand absence of the Great Star

The prison on Pilos’s estate was small and Xessa was its only inhabitant. She didn’t know why. She hadn’t understood anything after their plan to kill the Singer had failed. All she knew was that she’d left and the others hadn’t.

Toxte. Tayan. Lilla. Lutek. Tiamoko. Tika.

Her fathers, Kime and Otek.

Her dog, Ossa.

Toxte. Toxte. Toxte.